Polenta fries are a great way to enjoy the crispy texture of french fries without all of the deep-fried guilt. Made from cornmeal and cooked in boiling water, these vegan polenta fries are light yet filling. The garlic lemon aioli is an easy dipping sauce that compliments any meal! Recipe below.
These fries are easy to make. I couldn’t believe it at first either. You could make them for a summer barbecue or as an appetizer with dinner.
But first, let me tell you why these fries are amazing.
Vegan Polenta Fries with Garlic Lemon Aioli are a delicious alternative to regular fries. They’re crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, so they taste just like French fries! But these fries are 100% vegan, healthier than traditional french fry recipes, and much more cost effective too! So if you’re looking for something different but still crave that classic deep fried potato goodness then this is your answer. And I can’t believe it’s not butter or oil either because they achieve such perfect texture without any of those greasy ingredients. Plus garlic also has a ton of health benefits which makes it even better (don’t worry there will be plenty of garlic in the recipe).
Another great thing about these fries is they’re completely customizable. If you don’t like something, just leave it out or substitute for a different ingredient! And that’s not all – if you want to make your own spicy seasoning instead of using store-bought fry salt then go right ahead because this dish has plenty of room for creativity as well. It’s so much fun experimenting and inventing new recipes with the ingredients I have on hand.
I hope my Vegan Polenta Fries with Garlic Lemon Aioli will inspire others who are looking for vegan alternatives to break free from their regular french fry routine!
Vegan Polenta Fries with Garlic Lemon Aioli
Ingredients
- Garlic (crushed)
- one clove worth (~0.25 teaspoons)
- Lemon juice from ~ half lemon (~21 grams per serving)
- Olive Oil – one teaspoon worth Flour or one tablespoon vegan butter or margarine (for frying)
- Three tablespoons worth Water
- Two cups worth Polenta Cornmeal Milk – one cup worth (optional)
- Salt – one teaspoon worth
Instructions
To make Polenta Fries, you’ll need:
a large pot with a steamer basket to keep the fries out of boiling water and making them soggy. I use my Dutch oven because it has such a deep base that they don’t touch the pot bottom at all! Fill your pot about halfway up with cold water. Add enough salt so it tastes like seawater; this seasoning will season both sides as well – better than any other type of condiment. Bring this to a boil, then add the polenta cornmeal and stir so it doesn’t stick to the pot.
Add one teaspoon of kosher salt per cup of polenta (so for three cups, use two teaspoons). When you first start stirring in your salt, it will be very coarse with large clumps – don’t panic! Keep stirring until these little granules dissolve into smaller pieces. As this happens, they will also smooth out any lumps; continue stirring while cooking over medium heat until all of your water is absorbed by the mixture. It should take about five minutes or less from when you added your first spoonful to make sure there isn’t any more liquid left behind as if you were making scrambled eggs using just milk instead.
Now it’s time to flip the polenta. You should use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula for this because metal utensils can scratch your pan and make it difficult to clean later on. In order to flip, you’ll want the other side of the pot facing down on top of your stovetop (so if you started with the handle at 12 o’clock, now turn it so that is pointing towards six o’clock). Add half an inch of water as well as another tablespoon of oil before flipping over onto its other side – cover again with a lid while waiting for about fifteen minutes; then remove from heat and let sit covered until ready to serve.
-The cornmeal will depress in size while cooking through the polenta. This is normal and will ensure that it’s cooked through all the way on both sides
-A little bit of water never hurts; add as much or as little to your liking, but make sure you have a tablespoon of oil mixed in before placing over heat
-If you’re using a pressure cooker, cook for five minutes instead of fifteen so it’ll be even easier to flip without having anything stick together.